


butterflies

by caffein8



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Couch Cuddles, Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Slice of Life, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 00:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20844383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffein8/pseuds/caffein8
Summary: One morning at set shooting Ragnarok, Tom and Chris finally talk about something that's been on their minds. For years.





	butterflies

Shooting Ragnarok had been _ so _good, Tom has never experienced a set like this before. Taika’s enthusiasm was contagious, the dynamic with the cast was incredible, and oh, the weather in Australia was just phenomenal. It was another lazy day, hours before the start of shooting with the sun barely rising outside. Tom and Chris sat in the latter’s trailer, browsing through the next scene with the smell of coffee accompanying them. 

The change of emotion on Chris’ face was palpable even if Tom didn’t catch it at the corner of his eyes. Quite vocal, he was. _ Oh_s and _ really?_s with more than a few chuckles here and there breaking the silence of the space, mingling with the quiet croons of Hozier from Chris’ playlist. 

(Tom made the mental note to check the artist out the next time he had the chance.)

The silence was broken again by Chris’ words, though they strung a whole sentence now. A surprising sentence, but a sentence all the same.

“I feel like they’re going to kiss—” came Chris’ almost pensive comment, and Tom catches the small smile that tugged on the corners of his lips when he looked up. Seemed like they were on the same pace while reading.

“What?” Tom couldn’t have heard him correctly. Or he did, but he couldn’t believe it.

“What?” came Chris’ quick dumbfounded answer, using his charm and humor in defense. There was a shift in his eyes, just then. Panic.

Tom laughed; the script now forgotten on his lap as he edged closer to his friend on the couch. He reclined against the back; arm draped over the soft leather. There is a curious slant to his smile when he saw the small flush on Chris’ cheeks. “Wait, wait. You think they’re going to _ kiss_?”

“Well, you know…” Chris gestured with his free hand, waving in the air before it retreated to scratch at his beard. He didn’t avert his gaze, however, keeping his eyes on Tom as he spoke. Reminisced, even. “It’s just so sweet. Made me remember the, uh, one of the first scenes we shot eight? Nine years ago?”

Tom gave him a smile, fond. “I remember well. It could be the intention of the screenwriters, don’t you think? Brothers, meeting before a coronation once more. The same, yet different. A beautiful parallel to wrap things up nicely.”

“Yeah, well put, Tom.”

Then Tom couldn’t help himself but to prod, chuckling. “I did ask for a kiss in that first scene too, didn’t I?”

“Huh. Oh, yeah, you did.” Chris’ eyes were crinkled around the edges, a quiet laugh. “Shame they didn’t put that scene in the final cut, y’know? Could’ve seen more of the real Loki, if you will.”

A silence hung over them again as they shared a smile. Not awkward, no. More born out of a mutual understanding out of the depth of characters they’ve had in their head for years, of a relationship forged between them lasting more than with anyone else in the franchise that gave them their big breaks. They return to their scripts, reading back through the end scene in the ship. Chris seemed more relaxed now, comments made less frequent.

It was Tom who broke the silence this time.

“Do you reckon they would—Thor and Loki. Do you think they would kiss?”

That came out of nowhere, but Chris did step into that one. “Uh,” he set his script down, fingers drumming against the pages. His brow furrowed just so when he thought hard on something. It was quite endearing to Tom. “They’re _ brothers_, aren’t they?”

“But they are _ gods_. Or, if you want to be technical about it, aliens. Who knows what conventions they follow? Mythology is brim full of incestuous relationships within their pantheons, too.”

“Point. Wait, wait. Are you saying that—”

“That _ I _ think they would kiss?" Tom fixed his glasses, lips pressed in thought. His tongue darted out for a moment. "Yes, I think they would. Or even, they _ had _ kissed. A thousand years together, they must have shared a peck or two in the past. Especially with Loki’s mischief. Could have been a trick to get something he wanted. Maybe just to rile Thor up.”

“Nah." Chris was quick to shake his head. "Loki would do it in a heartbeat. To kiss Thor. It is _ Thor _ after all.” Chris let out a breathy laugh, smug and almost teasing with his statement. He scratched his beard, fluid movements with his fingers before he laughed again, speaking a pitch higher and tempo faster than he normally does. Nervous. “Why are we talking about kissing again? It’s not like it would happen. They won’t allow it. Not in any universe.”

“I recall you prompted the conversation, Chris. And it’s, hm, an exploration of the characters?”

“You don’t mean—”

Tom silenced him before they wound up with any more excuses to stall this any further. They’ve been stalling for _ years_. Just a small peck, at the corner of Chris’ mouth, his lips tickled by the scruff just there with how quick he pulled away. One could say it was chaste kiss too, platonic. Sweet. Tom had to admit there was regret glossing his eyes when he pulled back to speak up, pink high on his cheeks. “I do mean it.”

Chris looked dumbstruck, eyes flitting around as if the gears in his head began to turn. “You... mean it,” he repeated distractedly as his eyes fixed upon Tom, ringed fingers brushing over the spot where he was kissed. He was upset, Tom felt it, saw it in how those blue eyes burned. The same intimidation flared in his belly from the first time he had seen the guy at Branagh’s house or when they would act out their scenes at set. Chris didn’t seem the type to hurt even a fly and yet, he can’t help but think— No, he wasn’t even thinking. Chris was _ married__, _ for fuck’s sake.

Tom shifted back on his side of the sofa, arms smoothing out his sweater for something to do, throat bobbing as a cold sweat fell over him. “I’m sorry. I overstepped your boundaries—”

“...You call that a kiss?” Chris seemed to be relaxed now with how he positioned himself sprawled out there, with his dopey smile on his face and the brow he quirked at Tom’s direction with his teasing. So, he wasn’t upset, then.

(Tom didn't know if they were still 'exploring the characters', if this was Thor or Chris speaking. But, how easy it would be to fall right into the banter, to answer back how he wanted to. _ Then, why don’t you show me what a real kiss is, then? _

But as always, Tom’s moral compass got the better of him.)

“I- We can’t, Chris. Elsa—”

“—knows. Elsa knows.” Chris interjected, rifling his fingers together in his nervous tic. He was still smiling, but barely. A pained smile.

"_W__hat? _”

It was Chris’ turn to reel back, sitting up properly as he kept his head down at his hands. He wet his lips with a swipe of his tongue. “She knows. I mean, I told her but she knew way before. Saw the way I look at you, both on screen and off. I couldn’t– I still love her, of course I do, and I felt _ awful _ with the crush I had on you that I _ had _ to tell her. I can’t, you know, keep something like that from her.” He ended with a light laugh, eyes drawing up to meet Tom’s. “Women, huh? Way too perceptive. Knew what I was gonna say before I confessed. She's surprisingly okay with it– Uh, Tom?”

Tom was still as confused as he was before. Maybe even more. He cleared his throat, snapping out of his blank. “I… You have a crush on me.” He said it as if the combination of those words together shouldn't fit. They felt clumsy in his mouth. “Since when?”

Chris scratched the back of his head, the sound loud with how soft the music became in the trailer. “Since I got to know you better with our trip with Liam. Remember that?”

Tom eased up with a belly laugh and nodded. How could he forget? That was an unforgettable experience and that meant Chris really _was_ staring at him when he thought he wasn't looking. When he opened his eyes again, Chris was just inches away. “I like you, Tom. I like you a lot,” he whispered, the childlike playfulness in his eyes gone now, making them bluer than usual. A feat in itself. Tom felt that butterflies in his stomach again and for the first time in ages, he was speechless. 

"Tom? Say something. Please?" Chris voice cracked as he spoke.

Somehow, all Tom mustered was to press his lips together, nodding quietly for a few seconds before he was cracking up. It was awful, but he can't seem to stop the chuckles from coming out. Chris sat back, confused and frowning, surely waiting for an explanation for how rude he's being. "Jesus, Chris. No, wait... I didn't mean to laugh at you. I would never. I just- It… It's this. This _ situation _ . I would never have dreamed we'd end up like this. I've been thinking about you for years, and how this could ever pan out. Over and over again. They all ended up badly. Then, I thought I could somehow move on but every time I see you, everything rushes back. And look at us. You, married, a family man. We live on opposite sides of the world. It was impossible. And yet..." He met Chris' smile with one of his own, head shaking lightly. "And yet, we're here and I'm feeling those silly schoolboy butterflies in my stomach at _this_ age. Because of course, _ of course, _ only you can make me feel like this, Chris. Make it feel like this is possible somehow."

"Because it is. You know it is. We'll make it work," Chris hummed in delight, smiling so brightly it made his eyes crinkle up in the way Tom was so fond of. A warm hand eased up across the small of Tom's back, pulling him close enough that their noses bumped. He felt him play with the hem of his sweater with those fingers that just can't seem to ever stay still. "Does this mean I can kiss you now? For real, this time."

Tom knew he didn't have to answer; they both knew. Now, this, _ this _ was a kiss. Tom's eyes fluttered close as he was practically pulled into Chris' lap without breaking the kiss. Strong hands moved from his slight waist and up into his curls, pulling him closer as he felt the mouth he was kissing breaking into a smile. "Always wanted to do this."

Tom hummed, nibbling on his lip. "Me too. Kissing you is a dream."

"Not that- Okay, okay, also that. But _this_," Chris fisted his hair gently, curls scrunching up under his fingers. "You always look so soft. And you are." He kissed him again, smiling happily with their foreheads pressed together. "So soft."

"Soft, hm? I've surprisingly heard that before." Tom chuckled right back, a little breathless from how big and broad Chris was under him. Especially with how dwarfed he felt with those hands sliding down to his neck. He made eyes at him, his own hands sliding up across Chris' broad shoulders before he moved in to kiss him once more. Addicted, he was. He cannot get enough of him. This might become a problem in the future, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

"I got competition then, hm? Then you aren't just soft. You're gorgeous," A kiss, on his lips. "Intelligent," Down his jaw, peppered across his freshly-shaven skin and to his neck as his hands made its way down his sweater. "So damn sexy, even if you wear the same outfit all the time–"

"Hey!"

Chris chuckled, hands squeezing Tom's hips as he kissed him one last time on the nose. "Maybe we should get you out of this, then? _So_ tired of seeing you in it," he murmured with a joking roll of his eyes, hands playing with the hem of his sweater to lift it up bit by bit. That got Tom laughing from the breeze that tickled his stomach. "Do you think we have time for that? We have to be in hair and makeup in twenty, someone is bound to knock soon."

"Well, they don't call them a 'quickie' for noth– Ow!" Chris rubbed his shoulder with a scrunch of his nose, laughing it off before he was pushed down on his back once Tom stood. Tom had to admit he never seen Chris so astonished before but the look quickly faded as soon as the lock of the door clicked in Tom's fingers. Chris' lips slanted into a cheeky smile with a tilt of his head. "Oh?"

"I didn't say no, did I?" Tom whispered when he was back at the couch and popping Chris' shirt open by the button. "Just, take care not to leave any marks I can't explain." 

"Oh, I will. Leave them only where _I _can see them. A promise for later, eh?" The laugh Chris let out rumbled right through Tom as he laughed along, rolling around with the butterflies in his stomach. Oh, Tom can definitely get used to those flying about.

**Author's Note:**

> my first fic from binging all of the hiddlesworth interviews on yt in a mad frenzy for content,,,


End file.
